Even before arriving to New York City, you probably were already familiar with Broadway and its cultural significance to the city. If you haven’t been to a show yet, make this part of your to-do list now that you’re here! Luckily, you have many options, as there are 41 different theaters to choose from that feature Broadway shows that seat from 600 to almost 2,000.
If you’re just as new to English as you are to New York City, visiting one of these iconic shows is a great way to put your translation skills to use. Do some research on the play before attending, and get a general feel of the plot. That way, once you’re in the theatre, you can practice your English with the comfort of already knowing the backstory. Since there’s always plenty of dialogue mixed in with singing and dancing, you’ll be entertained while focusing on the English. And don’t forget to hang onto your Playbill! This is basically your program for the show, which includes the written background of the play, the names of the actors, and you’ll find that it makes a timeless souvenir for your trip to Broadway.
Here are just a few of my favorite theatres (and shows) during my time in New York City.
Ambassador Theatre, 219 W. 49th Street
For Christmas two years ago, I received tickets to the musical, Chicago. I ended up taking my sister, and we had a BLAST. Because the location is just outside of Times Square, I showed her around the heart of this neighborhood, and we had no trouble finding a place to grab dinner beforehand. We got there with enough time to kill that we were able to take plenty of pictures of this legendary theatre and share them with our family before curtain call. The show was so much fun, and we ended up buying the soundtrack after the show so we can relive the night over and over again. The other cool aspect of this play is they made a movie version of the musical, which I found just as fun and entertaining as the Broadway version!
Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 W. 46th Street
This is another one of the most famous Broadway theatres, as it has the greatest number of award-winning plays and musicals than any other theatre on Broadway. Right now, it’s hosting Hamilton, one of the most celebrated musicals of all-time. It’s incredibly difficult to get tickets, and you might find that if you just linger outside the theatre, people are taking selfies in front of the signage since it’s so popular! It even holds the box office record, so even if you can’t make it this round at this theatre, it’s bound to pop up again at another location.
Minskoff Theatre, 200 W. 45th Street
I’m including this one because I have a bit of history with this one. When I was in high school, my family took a weekend trip to New York City to see The Lion King. After a day of seeing the 9/11 memorial and visiting the Statue of Liberty, we made our way to Broadway to see this show, and it quickly became the highlight of my trip. The movie was one of my favorites as a kid, and I even knew every single word to the songs since I listened to the soundtrack on repeat. So seeing the musical rendition was such a treat! It’s still running today, over 15 years later, so I’d love to see it again and find out how much the show has changed!
Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 302 W. 45th Street
I’m saving my most sentimental theatre for last, since this was the very first Broadway show I ever attended. When I was a freshman in high school, I briefly flirted with the idea of being an on-stage performer, so our choir class took a field trip to New York City to see Kiss Me, Kate! Back then, the theatre was called the Martin Beck Theatre, but it’s still the same, classic location. It was an amazing experience, since not only was it my first Broadway show, but it was also my very first trip to New York City! I wish I could have told my 14-year-old self back then that 15 years later I would call The Big Apple my home!